Timer



Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES;

PATENT orifice;

VIRGIL H. NATI-IES, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.`

TIMER.

Application led January 1G, 1922. Serial No. 529,705.

T0 all 'io/0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, Vincir. H. h/IATI-Ins, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new so constructing the timer that thewires as-v i sociatedtherewith will be entirely removed from the path ofany of the operating parts of the motor. u f` 'A further feature'ofA theinvention is the provision of `means for readily advancing or retardingthe spark created by the timer.

And a further'feature of the invention is the provision of a housing inwhich are located spark formingV contacts, said'housingV having a visualspace so that the operation of the contact points may be observed at anytime.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter' morefully set forthand pointed out in the accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is aside elevation of the front endof a motor showing the timerattached thereto, i Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof,

i Figure 3 in an enlarged sectional view through the timer as seen online SW3,n Figure 2, V f

' Figure 4 is a sectional view as seen on line -1-4, Figure 3, i

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the timer with parts broken away, and

Figure 6 is a detail view similar to Figure 4, showing a differentadjustment of the contact forming means and with the operating camtherefor removed. 1

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates an engine of the internalcombustion type, and 2 a cam shaft associated with the engine, also 'ofthe usual type. Surrounding the threaded end 3` of the cam shaft 2 is acasing 4 which is attached to ther parts of the engine 1 in any suitablemanner. Theperipheral wall of the casing 4 has an opening engine.respective posts `are contact arms 19, 20,

5 therethrough over which is positioned a hollow sleeve 6, the lower endof the sleeve being connected tothe casing in any suitable manner.

1n arranging timers of this class, particularly of the Ford type, ithasbeen the custom heretofore to so position said timers that the ignitionwires would be exposed to contact with parts of the motor so uas to wearthe insulation fromthe wires and cause short circuits, and in timers of"the well known type it has been necessary to remove parts if not all ofthe timing device in order to gain access tothe operating parts thereof.

To overcome these objectionable features the sleeve 6, in this instanceis extended upwardly a distance from the casing 4 and is providedat itsupper end witha'laterally extending housing 7, in which are locatedcontact points. At the outer end of the laterally"extendingportion ofthe housing 7 is an insulating block 8, the ends of the block preferablyhaving Vslots 9 which engage 'ribs 10 on thewalls of the housing so thatthe block may have sliding engagement with the housing. Extendingthrough the block 8 are a plurality of contact posts 11, 12, 13 and 14,at the outer ends of which are connected ignition wires 15, 16, 17 and18 respectively, which wires extend' from 'said posts to the ,usual formof distributor or coil, and by extending the sleeve 6 to the heightshown, said wires will be entirely removed from contact with any partsofthe Connected to the inner ends o-f the 21 and 22, which are in fixedVrelation with saidv posts, while co-operating with said arms are springcontact plates 23, 24, 25 and 26, having one of their ends in positionto connect respectively with the contacts 19, 20, 21 and 22, theopposite ends of said con- `tact plates being anchored adjacent the wallof the housing diametrically opposite the wall formed by the insulatingblock 8. By placing vthe contact plates thus they extend across thelupper end of the hollow sleeve 6, the contact arms and the contactplates being so constructed that they will normally rest in disengagingposition.

In order to operate the contact plates for moving them into engagementwith their respective contact arms to form circuits through the ignitionwires, a cam structure 27 first threaded onto the threaded end 3 of thecam shaft 2 and properly adjusted, afterwhich it is fixed in engagementwith said threaded endby a key 28, thereby holding the cam structure inabsolute fixed relation with the cam shaft. The cam structure `oftheplungers being regulatedby stops 40, ,while the upward movement of theplungei's is regulated .by stops .41, and in order` to cause theplungers to descend yafter they are releasedfrom their respective camfaces, coil springs 42 are introduced around the upper portions oftheplungersibetwecn the stops- ,41fand` th.e under face ofthe pivotedhead?.` `T lieguideframe is positioned `directly over the opening 5, andis `,moved from'side to side ofthe sleeve-by means of a level l43, 4said.leverfbeing preferably lformed in accordancefwith the peripheraloutline of the casing; 4, so that the guide.

framek 3.9, which is fixedfto the lever 43', will `travel in the arcof`a circleincident to the curvature `of Athefcasing v4, the inner end, of

the-lever' 43- having a projection 44 which enters a slot v45 formedinthe periphery of the casing 4 adjacent one-end of the opening 5,'Ytheguide frame 39 having elongated slots 46 to provide free movementof theplungers ,as .the position of the vguide .frame l39 is shifted.) Theobject of shifting the position of the guide frame-39isto regulate ortime the sparks formed 'by closingthe contact plates with the kContactarms, whereby t-he sparks may v be created .at any particular timedepending upon the running condition of vthe engine.

As for instance,- whenthe engine iszbeingstarted, the guide frame 89 ismoved to the position shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, therebyretarding thespark to prevent-fback-firing of the engine, ,while undernormal running conditions/the guide frame will-'be positioned, as shownin Figure 4 of the drawings, lbut may be moved still further towards theright in the event.

thesparkis to be additionally advanced.

The hollow gsleeve is preferably extended atan angle, as best sho-wn inFigure 2 v,ofthe drawings, andpiinlorder to observe the operation of thecontacts without opening up any parts of the timer, the cover portion'47 of the housing is providedwith an opening 4S over which is placed acovering 49 of transparent material, preferably glass,

Y and through this visual'space the operating parts of the timer may bereadily observed without removing or vv tearing down any parts of thetiinei'.

Having' thus fully described my said invention What I c'laimwas new anddesire 'to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a timer for engines, the con'ibination with a cam, of a pluralityof circuit 'forming contacts; a distanceffrom said cani, a plurality ofplungers operable by said cam for "l intermittently.forming Circuitsthrough said contacts, a'g'uide block through which the Ilowerendsofsaid plungers extend, and

means for moving said guide block inithe arcof a ,circle around said camfordetermining the position of the lower ends of said plungers.

2. In a timer, the combination with a cam vhaving a plurality of camfaces, of a plurality of circuit forming contacts, a

plurality of longitudinally movable plungers operable `by said cani yforintermittently forming circuits through said. contacts, .and

means for shifting the position of the lower ends of said plungens Eforadvancing or .retarding contact withthe cam faces.

3.,In la timer for engines, the combination with a cam structure havingaplurality of cam faces thereon, of a casing foi` said Acani structurehaving an ope-ning in one wall thereof, a hollow sleeve ysurroundingsaid opening .and extending a distance above the casing', a plurality ofcircuit forming contacts .atthe'upper end of said sleeve, a plurality oflongitudinally movableplungers Aextending.from said cam structure tosaid contacts, guiding means at the opposite ends of said plungers, andmeans for shifting the ylower ends of said plungers laterally wherebytheoperation thereof will be advanced or retarded.

4. In a timer, the combination with a cam having a plurality of camfaces, of a plural- .i'tyof circuit forming contacts, a plurality oflongitudinally movable plungers operable by saidv cam for intermittentlyforming circuits through said contacts, aii insulating block supportedadjacent the upper end of said plungers, said circuit forming contactsvcomprising contactaims carried by the insulating block, spring` contactplates therefor Aand normallyspacedout of con tact therefrom said platesbeing positioned above the plungers respectivelyv for engagementtherewith, a pivot'ed `head for the upper ends of the plungers, and apivoted guideblock for the lower ends of the plungers, substantially asset` forth.

5. In a timer, the combination with a cam having a plurality of camfaces, Aof a plural.-

ity of circuit forming contacts, a plurality of longitudinally movableplungers operableby said cam for-intermittently forming circuits throughsaid contacts, an insulating vblock supportedadjacentthe `uppei end otsaid plungers, said circuit forming contacts comprising Contact armscarried by the insulating block, spring Contact plates therefor andnormally spaced out of contact therefrom said plates being positionedabove the plungers respectively for engagement therewith, a pivoted headfor the upper ends of the plungers, a pivoted guide block for the lowerends of the plungers, and stops on the plunger-s for limiting the motionthereof in either direction, substantially as set forth.

6. In a timer, the combination with a cam having a plurality of camfaces, of a plurality of circuit forming contacts, a plurality oflongitudinally movable plungers operable by said Cam for intermittentlyforming circuits through said contacts, an insulating block supportedadjacent the upper end of said plungers, said circuit forming contactscomprising contact arms carried by the insulating block, spring contactplates therefor and normally spaced out of Contact therefrom said platesbeing positioned above the plungers respectively for engagementtherewith, apivoted head for the upper ends of the plungers, a pivotedguide block for the lower ends of the plungers, stops on the plungersfor limiting the motion thereof in either direction, and means formoving y the pivoted guide block and lower ends of the plungers in anarc of a circle around said cam for simultaneously varying the points ofcontact between the plungers and the cam faces respectively,substantially as set forth. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set myhand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 12th day of January A. D.nineteen hundred and twenty-two.

VIRGIL I-I. MATI-IES. [ns]

